Ambiga proposes amnesty for corrupt individuals

Human rights lawyer says such a measure is needed as corruption has reached alarming heights and perpetrators should be won over to cooperate in curbing it.

Ambiga-corrupt KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan has proposed an amnesty plan for those involved in corruption, so they will admit to and return their ill-gotten gains as a strategy to help curb the scourge of graft in Malaysia.

Acknowledging that it would be an unpopular proposition, she said something had to be done in order to address the high incidences of such malpractice taking place in the country.

“Corrupt individuals at the lower and middle levels realise that the benefits of corruption are immediate,” said the former president of the Malaysian Bar and former co-chairperson of election reform movement Bersih.

“Corruption has become so much a part of our lives that many of us forget that it’s wrong.

“We need to win these people over in order to eradicate corruption,” she told a forum entitled “Envisioning the Future Beyond GE14” here today.

She said the amnesty would not be without conditions imposed on the perpetrators.

The individuals involved would need to admit to what they had done and give back what they had illegally taken, with no prosecution action taken against them.

“Do this with the lower and middle guys and they will buy into your plan for a better Malaysia. Otherwise they will continue opposing it,” said Ambiga, a recipient of the US International Women of Courage Award in 2009.

She said the number of corruption cases in the country had reached dire levels, citing raids by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“The figures are staggering and the amount of money these people are found with is frightening. Many of us even start wondering what these people could possibly do with so much money,” she said.

Ambiga also claimed that eradicating corruption would resolve much of the country’s problems.

“Corruption kills. Migrant abuse, human trafficking – these things happen because of corruption,” she said.

She said whoever the next government was after the 14th general election, must take a stand and act to eliminate graft.

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